The Heir V2
by Isabella Rain
Summary: AU. Kagome H. has been on the run for five years, desperate to keep hidden a secret that could rock the nation of Shikon. But when her pursuers close in, she finds she has no where left to run, except straight to the one man she vowed to never see again, Prince Inuyasha Takahashi. Reimagined version of 'The Heir'. INUxKAG. SESxRIN. SANxMIR.
1. No Where Left to Run

**A/N: Hello lovely people! I am back after quite a long time and I have been trying my absolute damn-dest to finish writing the original, 'The Heir'. I have written notes, upon note, upon notes, and I still can't get the story to line up without completely re-writing it. The biggest issue is the plot line surrounding the mob and their interest regarding taking over the throne/interest in Ileana. Also, there were some common sense things that I got completely wrong, but that I know how to fix if I can figure out where my plot line is going.**

 **Anywho, in response to that, I have begun writing 'The Heir 2.0', which has a similar theme. For those of you who still love 'The Heir', if you have any ideas for the story, please let me know, as I won't pull the story until I know what I'm doing with it.**

 **Additionally, I am running on certain premises to make the plot line flow and connect. So, please no grumpiness until you see where it's going.**

The Heir 2.0

The rain outside pounded into the earth with deafening force, making it hard to hear anything else over its drumming. Looking quickly over her shoulder, a raven-haired girl peered out her car windows onto the wet, dreary streets of Kyoto. Her eyes darted across the people who crossed in front of her house, most of whom were trying to escape from the sudden onslaught of the storm. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she pulled her hood over her head, grabbed the door handle and rushed the hundred yards to her front door. Once she stood under the small amount of cover her roof's overhang provided, she lowered her hood and searched the street once more before unlocking her front door and rushing inside.

"Mummy!" A small voice called out before she felt its source collide with her legs. Looking down, the shadows in her eyes dispersed and the corners of her mouth lifted as she saw her daughter's smiling face lovingly looking up at her.

"Hey baby." She laughed, as she squatted down to the little girl's level and wrapped her arms around her tiny frame, lovingly running her hand over her hair. Her heartrate slowed as she held her daughter in her arms and finally released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Across the room, her friend, and housemate of six weeks, stood leaning against the door frame, a tight smile pulled unnaturally on her lips. She met the other woman's eyes and felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle uncomfortably. Pulling her daughter away from her by her upper arms, she looked into bright, green eyes. "Ileana, baby, can you go and find all your favourite things and lay them out on your bed for me?" With a knowing nod, the little girl bounded away and climbed the stairs.

When the women could hear her moving around her room, her friend moved towards her. "Kagome," Her voice was fretful, "they were watching the house again. I don't know what you've gotten yourself involved in, hun, but you need to take Ileana and get out of here." She felt her chest constrict as, involuntarily, she flicked her gaze over her shoulder and towards the door.

 _They've never found us this quickly before,_ her mind warred against what she knew to be true. Hadn't she seen two strange men watching her only yesterday? She ran through every option she had left and felt her hands tremble as she realized there was only one.

 _No, I'm not ready._ __Her face paled as she tried to think of any other option. Any other choice.

After a moment, she looked at her friend and swallowed the lump growing in her throat. "Thank you for taking us in, Ayumi. I know I've put you in dan- "

Ayumi's finger on her lips cut her off. "Don't mention it. You know I'd do anything for that little girl." She gave her a slight smile as she dropped her hand to Kagome's shoulder. "Now, go get your things and leave before the rain clears up." With a curt nod, she pulled her closest friend in for a tight hug before quickly releasing her and rushing upstairs.

Ileana looked up at her mother from where she stood in front of her bed, a stuffed turtle and framed picture laid out on it. Her heart pulled in her chest as she realized these were the only things her daughter truly cherished. She didn't care about her toys or her dresses, just the stuffed turtle her grandmother had given her and the photo of a man she'd never met. "Are these all your favourite things baby?" Kagome asked, trying to push the rising emotion out of her voice.

Her rounded cheeks lifted as she smiled at her. "Mhmm." She said with a quick nod.

Kagome gently cupped her daughter's cheek as she thought again of how lucky she was to have her. "Alright then. Do you remember what to do?" She nodded her little head again and turned out of her mother's touch to grab her cherished belongings off her bed. Kagome watched her for a moment more as guilt constricted her chest. She hated that her daughter had become used to abandoning everything at a moment's notice.

Snapping into action, she rushed to the closet, pulled out a child sized suitcase, and began putting a few pairs of Ileana's clothes into it. Before she shut the bag, her daughter toddled over and gently laid the framed picture on top. Closing and zipping the suitcase, she handed the telescoping handle to Ileana. "Head downstairs to Aunt Ayumi. I'll be down in a second." Without argument, she headed towards the door with the bag wheeling behind her. Seconds later, Kagome heard the characteristic thumps of a suitcase being wheeled down stairs and then rushed into her own room.

She knew she didn't have time to over think what to take with her. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she mentally ran through the list of things she needed. Her duffle bag was already packed, with clothes and her and Ileana's important documents, at the bottom of her closet. Grabbing the bag first, she then flicked her eyes around her sparse bedroom. Deciding there was nothing there she couldn't live without, she left the room without a second glance.

Downstairs, Kagome found the little bag at the door and Ayumi sitting on the couch with Ileana, who was already in her hooded jacket, laughing. She smiled at the pair and silently thanked her friend for distracting her daughter from the fact they were uprooting, again. Seeing her mother, Ileana leaned over and hugged Ayumi. "Bye Auntie," She said warmly, then jumped up and grabbed her turtle.

Tears were gathering at the corners of both women's eyes as her friend, too, stood up. "You have everything?" Her friend's voice shook with emotion. When she nodded in response, her friend's arms wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Keep your head on a swivel, Kags." Ayumi whispered and softly kissed her cheek.

Kagome nodded, fighting back tears. "I will," she whispered back to her as she pulled away, instantly missing the other woman's warmth.

She was going to miss her friend.

Moving around Kagome and Ileana, Ayumi peeked out the front window's curtains. "Coast is clear."

Without another word, she pulled up her daughter's hood, and then her own, before lifting her in her arms and opening the front door, the wet wind blowing in mercilessly. Leaning down to grab Ileana's suitcase, she saw the spider spray painted onto the ground in front of the door.

 _Their close._ She screamed internally as a shiver ran up her spine. Ayumi gasped behind her as she saw the mark that hadn't been there twenty minutes ago, but Kagome was already moving with quick strides towards her car.

00000

Twenty minutes later, she looked through the rearview mirror and saw her daughter sleeping soundly in her booster seat. Although Ileana was safe, Kagome's hands were shaking on the steering wheel as she fought back the terror that threatened to consume her.

They had never gotten that close to them before. Normally, it took them months and months to track them down. She ran through all of her movements over the last few weeks, from her substitute teaching job to grocery store visits. She was positive no one had seen them, no one had followed them.

As she pulled into the airport parking lot, she realized how they had found her, taking with it any hope she had of not boarding a plane to the last place she wanted to go.

 _Mum_. Putting her car in park, she leaned her head on the steering wheel and felt anger well up in her. They had gone so far as to track her phone calls to her mother. The last time she'd spoken to her mother was last week when she had called Ayumi's house to tell her that her grandfather had died of a heart attack, breaking the protections they'd put in place.

Pain gripped at her, as just the thought of her Jii-san's face made the loss raw again. _I couldn't even go to his funeral_ _in fear they'd be watching for me. Expecting me to risk exposing us to come say goodbye._ With a peeked glance back at her daughter, she knew that was something she would never do. _She comes first._

She drew air in through her nose and out through her mouth, pushing away the pain. She couldn't think about the men who were chasing her and her daughter anymore, or how they had found them. _Stay strong, keep moving, weakness will get us killed_ , she internally chanted to herself as she tried again to push her feelings into a box in the back of her mind.

Feeling composed, she readied herself to board the plane that would forever change her and Ileana's lives.

00000

If Kagome hoped the island nation's weather would be different than that of Kyoto's, she was sorely mistaken. If anything, the rain drops beat down harder, the storm raging around them a mirror of her feelings.

With Ileana wrapped against her side and hidden under her large, floor length, brown cloak, she looked up at the palace in front of her that stood looming formidably in the dark, a faint glow coming from some of the windows. Inside the well-illuminated guardhouse at the large wrought-iron gate, she could see three men relaxing. It was obvious they weren't expecting anyone to cause trouble in the middle of a tropical storm. Wind whipped into Kagome as she quickly worked out a plan, causing her to clutch her daughter tighter to her side as it threatened to knock them over. "Not much longer, baby." She said softly.

She knew they would never get through if they approached the guards. The low-paid men would just send them away. _Please, let me see the way through,_ she prayed to whatever god was listening.

As if on cue, she saw someone jump out of a car that had pulled up to an unguarded side gate she had been watching and rush through it. The person never realizing when the gate they thought had latched, swung back open under the wind's pressure. _Bingo_. With firm hands, she lifted Ileana up, still tucked under her cloak, and bolted for their opening.

A few minutes later, Kagome stood at the front door of the palace, Ileana carefully hidden, and her hood up and still dripping. She was very proud of her daughter, who she knew was wet, cold, and exhausted, as she had not cried or complained once tonight. With bravery she didn't know she possessed, she loudly knocked on the door. When no one came, she knocked again, harder. In the back of her mind she was chanting, _stay strong, keep moving, weakness will get us killed._

Kagome heard a commotion on the other side of the door before it pulled open a crack, showing a man in his late fifties wearing a butler's finery. The side of her lips twitched up in a smirk underneath her hood as she heard him gasp. For a split second, she thought he recognized her, but it seemed he truly hadn't expected anyone to be standing outside, especially since she knew the guards hadn't informed him first. "Please state your business." His firm voice demanded as he wrinkled his nose.

Pulling her hood back enough for him to see her face, "Tell Prince Inuyasha Takahashi I wish to see him."

"Excuse me?" He said incredulously, his eyebrows raising in surprise. Catching himself, he narrowed his eyes and took her in for the first time, his eyes raking over her unkempt hair and mud splattered, drenched cloak. "I do not know who you think you are, but I will do no such thing. In fact, I believe the guards would be interested to know how you got past them."

Kagome smiled at the man, who wasn't in on her secret. She had no doubt she would be inside those doors in the next few minutes. "I believe you should let him and the Royal family make that decision about whether or not to entertain me."

"And why is that?" He lifted an eyebrow, amused by her assertion.

She could feel Ileana's face pressed into her leg. _She's scared._ Kagome's heart thumped in her chest, betraying the courage she wore as a mask, as the moment of truth had finally come. She still wasn't ready. With care, she pulled the cloak back just enough for the butler to see the silvery hair that spilt from her daughter's head to her waist.

With a choked sound, the butler's face went red as he struggled to stammer out an answer. "Now, please tell the Prince that Kagome Higurashi would like to see him."

00000

A well-polished man sat in front of a twelfth-century antique desk, his eyes scanning over the pile of paperwork his assistant had given him that afternoon. One piece in particular seemed to call his attention, no matter how much he tried to put it out of his mind.

Feeling the sudden urge to loosen his collar, he reached up to find it and his tie were already loose. Just thinking about the announcement for his upcoming engagement made him feel as though a noose was being tightened around his neck.

With a frustrated growl, he stood up and began pacing in front of his window, taking note of the ferocious tropical storm that howled past the thick glass. _Seems Mother Nature has a sense of humor_ , he snorted, as the weather embodied the turbulent feelings that were warring inside him.

His life had changed so much in the last six months.

His brother Sesshomaru's accident had rocked everyone and set into motion a series of events that would irrevocably change his life. As the bastard son of his father's beloved mistress, he was never meant to inherit the throne. Sesshomaru was the one who was the steadfast one, the one who was willing to do anything in service for his country.

Now? The prince with a different mistress each week, and no issues more pressing than what party he needed to attend, was now expected to marry a woman for the sole purpose of producing an heir. The trade agreement that came with the match was just a bonus for his family. That wasn't the truth of his existence, but the media didn't seem to care about that.

As he thought about the woman he was to be betrothed to, he shuddered. She was the definition of cold, from the indifference in her green eyes and her pale, bony body to her icy personality.

 _The complete opposite of the girl who shares her features._

Memories of a raven-haired girl with vibrant green eyes and generous curves, whose name escaped him, rose in his mind unbidden. Sighing, he ran his hand through his silvery hair as he tried to push her image away.

An urgent knock at his door pulled him out of his own internal struggle. "Come in." He called, turning to see his family's butler, Myoga's, unusually red face.

The older gentleman stammered in front of him in a way he had never seen before, even when him and Sesshomaru had upended the tree on Christmas morning. He could still remember watching the colored bulbs rolling across the family sitting room around the man's feet. Myoga's face had been red, but this shade of cranberry took it to a new level. The older man's eyes were bulging now, and he was becoming worried.

"Spit it out, old man. What's happened?" He barked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Prince I-Inuyasha. There is a young woman downstairs asking for you." Myoga stammered.

Inuyasha raised one brow. "Why is this my concern?"

"B-because she has a child with her." When the words left his mouth, the old man looked like he would faint.

"Keh. Is that all?" Inuyasha laughed. "Myoga, when has a false paternity claim every sent you stammering like a fool?"

Myoga's eyes were steely when he looked back at him. "When the child has silver hair."

Any laughter left in Inuyasha's throat died and he suddenly understood the older man's reaction. _There's no way._ There had been false paternity claims before, but they were easily disproven.

All children of the Takahashi's had one defining feature in common – silver hair. Even the women who had gone so far as to dye their child's hair or photoshop pictures could never get the exact coloration right.

Apparently, one had finally mastered the coloration. There was no way he had a child.

"Does anyone else in the family know yet?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes darkening.

"No, sir. I felt it was best to let you deal with the problem yourself."

"Good. Did she say what her name was?" Looking towards the window and seeing the storm outside still raging, he was curious what woman would brave the storm outside to claim she had the heir to the throne.

"Kagome Higurashi, sir." Inuyasha turned quickly to face Myoga as the name brought forward memories of the woman he had just pushed out of his mind.

 _Kagome_. He could see her raven hair and green eyes clearly in his mind's eye once again and swallowed down the lust that raised through him as he memories of her in his bed assaulted him. However, they were quickly replaced with anger.

 _How could she fall into the pools of shallow, lying women that had claimed to have an heir to the throne?_ His hand clenched into a fist at his side as the anger took root in him.

Feeling the butler's eyes on him, he schooled his face into an indifferent mask. "Alright, take me to her and I'll get this sorted out."

 **A/N: Thank you for reading. Please tell me what you think, as this is 'The Heir 2.0'.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to my two loyal reviewers. =) Your comments really helped me to persevere when this chapter got tough. Tough, as in three rewrites.**

 **Please enjoy and remember I don't own any of the characters.**

 **The Heir V2 – Chapter 2**

Kagome gnawed on her finger as she and Ileana waited in the palace's plush parlor. If she hadn't been dreading facing the man she knew would be flying down the stairs any minute, she might have taken in the ornate, blue wallpaper with its intricate floral motifs, or even the intricately crafted tile fireplace, whose roaring fire heated the room. But Kagome's mind was elsewhere, her earlier bravado wavering as she stood in the center of the beautiful room in wet, mud-soaked clothes.

She was terrified of what was to come for them here in this gilded prison. She knew that, by coming here, she would be subjecting Ileana and herself to a life where their feelings would always fall last in comparison to what the Crown wanted. It was part of why she hadn't brought Ileana here sooner. A shiver passed through Kagome at the thought and she wrapped her arms around herself, suppressing the urge to scream. _I have to get ahold of myself_ , she chastised.

Ileana, who had been shielded from the brunt of the storm, was lying asleep, in much drier clothes, on the antique settee with half a back in front of the fire, her tiny body curled onto its side. Carefully, Kagome leaned over and made sure her daughter's hood shielded her beautiful, silver hair from view. Biting her lower lip, she gently stroked Ileana's cheek, as she felt her chest tighten.

 _Stay strong, keep moving, weakness will get us killed,_ she internally chanted again as she felt her body shake, not from the chill of her wet clothes, but from the thought of the man she was about to come face to face with.

 _He probably doesn't even remember me_ , she reminded herself, before internally admonishing her thoughts. _We're only here for protection, nothing more._ _We're only here to keep her safe. Nothing else matters._

As she looked back at her daughter's sleeping form, she squared her shoulders, knowing she had to be strong in order to bear whatever was to come, for Ileana's sake. After all, she was the one running to him. Taking a deep breath to still her trembling hands, she took one last look at Ileana. _It's now or never Kagome._

As she turned and stepped away from the settee to stand in the center of the room, the door opened. For the briefest of moments, she couldn't find the words she had planned to say to him. Instead, she found herself looking at the prince who haunted the thoughts at the recesses of her mind. Tucked in to dark trousers, his red, silk shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, his tie's Windsor knot hanging loose, a reminder to Kagome of the late hour she had arrived at. Behind him, his waist-length, silver hair – his crowning glory - flowed as he strode purposefully towards her. His honey gold eyes pierced into her from a finely chiseled face.

Kagome hardly noticed as the butler left, closing the door behind him. She couldn't fathom how she had believed he was just another university student when she'd met him on the banks of the Kamo River. Looking at him now, there was no doubt he came from a background of wealth and privilege, moving in circles that wouldn't take any notice of her existence.

Prince Inuyasha stopped within arm's reach of her, thrusting his hands into his pockets. At such close proximity, he towered over her, forcing her to look up in order to see his face. "Are you aware you have broken two laws tonight that could see you imprisoned, Ms. Higurashi?"

Kagome blinked. "I'm sorry?" Of all the things she had planned for him to say, this wasn't even within the realm of possibility.

"Currently, I am well within my rights to have you imprisoned for trespassing and attempted blackmail of a royal." His eyes were cold as he stared intensely down at her, his jaw set.

Sitting on the plane, she had anticipated the moment she stood in the palace and faced him for the first time in four years, claiming to have his child. Kagome planned for him to shout at her and accuse her of being a liar, however, she hadn't anticipated how they were to get to the front door. Or for him to threaten her imprisonment just for asking to speak with him.

She fidgeted with the ring on her middle finger, twisting it round and round as she tried to gather her thoughts. Shaking her head, she glanced down, unable to hold his piercing gaze. There was no trace of the warmth in his eyes that had first captivated her.

Unbidden, memories of their night together flashed through her mind. His warm, golden eyes staring down at her as she felt him move inside her. His warm, deep voice whispering sweet reassurances that made her feel loved, cherished.

Only for those warm feelings to be obliterated the next morning when he vanished from her life. Leaving her confused and alone in her dorm room with a note and a disconnected number.

An unforgiving hand grabbed her chin and forced her to meet his eyes again. "What do you have to say for yourself, Kagome?"

Her name on his lips was like a subtle caress against her skin, making her question the earlier indifference in his eyes. Maybe he did recognize her. _Don't be stupid_. _You gave your name to the butler_. She felt like a fool for thinking otherwise.

"Imprison me is you wish, but I'm not here to blackmail you." Her strong, clear voice directly opposed her trembling body.

"Then inform me what you found so damned important you felt the need to sneak onto the grounds, in the middle of the night, during a raging tropical storm." Prince Inuyasha spoke in a low tone as his face moved closer to hers, his bruising grip on her jaw not easing.

Meeting her emerald eyes with his she softly confessed, "Our daughter's life."

She watched his eyes widen and a flicker of recognition light up in them. Before the shutters were pulled back down, a blazing fury melting his earlier ice. With a low growl, he released her chin. "I don't know what you think you are playing at, but I will not fall for it."

Kagome turned her face away from him and took a shaky breath. Pulling her shoulders back, she moved to the settee and gently lifted her sleeping daughter into her arms, careful not to rouse her.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw him watching her, his shoulders squared, jaw clenched. "If you won't believe my words, maybe you'll believe your own eyes." She slowly pivoted on her heel, bringing the tiny, brown cloaked bundle in her arms into his view for the first time.

He stilled, lips tightening into a thin line. With trembling fingers, she pulled the hood down. Ileana's hair spilled from her shoulders and down to her waist in a fluid, silvery waterfall that stood in stark contrast to her brown cloak.

Inuyasha sharply inhaled, his eyes fixated on the evidence of his paternity.

For several, long moments they stood in silence. She watched as his chest rose heavily, a raw, vulnerability in his eyes.

Seconds later, his eyes shadowed and turned to hers, a now murderous expression scorching her to the bone. Without a word, he stalked out of the room, slamming the door with brute force in his wake.

00000

When Prince Inuyasha stormed into his apartments a few minutes later, his chest was heaving, anger, disbelief and pride warring inside him. The image of his daughter seared into his brain. Running his fingers through his hair he tried to fathom how this had happened.

He wanted to deny the child's telling birthmark, but he couldn't.

Although he had been enraptured by Kagome, a memory he recalled as clearly as if it were yesterday, he had not been so captivated that he'd forgotten to take precautions when they made love. Taking precautions was as necessary to his existence as breathing. Having grown up a bastard, he refused to cause a child to suffer the way he had. He had vowed that when he had children, they would be legitimate, wanted. Loved.

But had his precautions somehow failed? The evidence in front of him told him it was not just possible, but a reality.

The better question for him was if he was this child's father, how had Kagome kept her from him all these years?

His fingers trembled as he ran them through his hair again.

As he thought of the sleeping girl clinging to her mother, he felt the jolt of awareness and possessiveness again – one he had never felt with the children two of his former lovers claimed were his. He had to hand it to Kagome though, he'd never been presented a paternity claim in quite this way.

Kagome hadn't asked for money or a ring, as he'd expected – only their child's life. _But what danger could there possibly be towards her?_ He mused, as he sat at his desk, pressing his face against steepled fingers. As the wind outside howled louder, the thought of the two of them battling the storm's merciless power chilled him to the bone. What could possibly frighten her enough to brave the treacherous weather to come to him?

A sharp knock pulled him out of his thoughts. "Come in." He called, glancing up to see Myoga hesitantly push the door open.

"Your Majesty," He bowed, a trickle of sweat running down his neck.

"Yes, Myoga?"

"Would you like me to send Ms. Higurashi and the girl away?"

Inuyasha's head snapped up. "You will do no such thing." He barked, surprising himself with the intensity of his response. The very thought of them turned outside in the storm infuriated him. "Have rooms prepared for them in my apartments." He finished in a much softer voice.

Although the older man tried to hide his raised brows before he turned away, he had seen it. "I would also like my assistant sent in, Myoga." A small nod the last thing Inuyasha saw before the door shut behind his butler.

A few minutes later his assistant arrived and Inuyasha ordered him to find all the information there was on Kagome Higurashi and her daughter. When the man left, he rose and looked out the window that stood behind his desk. His eyes overlooking the terrace beyond it and focusing on the tumultuous ocean waves battering the shore.

Tomorrow he was to formalize his engagement to Princess Kikyo, but tonight the only thing on his mind was a tiny child with silver hair.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to my loyal reviewers. =) Your comments really helped keep the story in the forefront of my mind.**

 **Please enjoy and remember I don't own any of the characters.**

The Heir V2 – Chapter 3

The soft warmth of down surrounded Kagome, urging her to relax and allow sleep to pull her back under. She was tempted and pressed her face into her pillow, deeply inhaling its lavender scent. Her mind was floating for the first time in years, her arms wrapped around another pillow and clutching it to her chest. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so comfortable or slept without fear infiltrating her every thought.

The sharp screech of metal curtain rings dragging along their rod made her bolt upright. Light flooded the room, momentarily blinding her as her eyes searched for the intruder in her room. "Wake up, deary. It's almost noon!" a bright, cheerful voice called from the window. As the black spots receded from her vision, she saw a short older woman looking at her from the edge of the bed, pulling back the warm covers from her body.

Kagome's eyes were wide as she stared at the woman. "You might want to close your mouth before you find flies in it, deary." With a snap, she closed her mouth she hadn't known was open. The woman's eyes twinkled as she finished tucking the bedding at the end mattress and turned to a chair with a pair of clothes on it.

"Who are you?" Her voice was low, sounding scratchy from her first night of restful sleep in years. Kagome still sat in the center of the bed, her arms wrapped over her chest and middle.

"Oh my," she laughed, the sound was warm and melodious to her. "My name is Kaede, deary. I'm the maid that has been assigned to you while you are at the palace."

Dawning crossed Kagome's features as her mind finally woke up. Her eyes darted around the ancient tapestries, hanging against the Prussian blue and white wallpaper with intricately drawn floral patterns, to the antiques and beautifully carved Hinoki Cypress furniture. The four-poster bed she lay in was covered in blankets, of the same blue as the walls, and was covered by a solid blue canopy, its corner fabric hanging over the bedposts to brush against the floor. It was also high set, only coming to the waist of the woman who was now moving towards her again, this time holding the clothes in her hands.

' _It's almost noon',_ the woman's words rang through her mind. She reached her hand out to feel for Ileana in the blankets beside her, panic gripping her chest. When she'd gone to bed last night, Ileana had been lying next to her cuddling her stuffed turtle.

"Where's Ileana?" Kagome snapped, touches of panic colouring her words. The wrinkles around Kaede's mouth pulled as her lips quirked into a smile.

"Your little one is fine." Her voice was soft, gentle. "She's awake and happy in her room, playing."

Without a word, Kagome bolted from the bed, ran towards the door, and threw it open. Soft gasps could be heard from the maids in the hall she'd startled, but she didn't care. Her head turned swiftly, looking for any clue to her daughter's whereabouts.

"Second door on the right," Kaede's voice called from inside her room.

Kagome's heart was in her throat, blood pulsing around her temples, as she found the door and pulled the door open.

Sitting at a table in the corner of the room colouring, Ileana's hair shone like the moon in the light streaming in from the floor to ceiling window behind her, the beautiful palace gardens spreading out below it. There was a woman sitting across from her, telling her daughter things that made her laugh. At the sound of the door, both looked up at her.

"Mummy!" Ileana called, a bright smile splitting her face as the dropped the crayon in her hand, jumped up and ran to her mother with open arms. Kagome squatted just in time for her arms to enfold the girl's tiny frame. She released the breath she'd been holding and kissed the girl's forehead. Taking Ileana's face in her hands, she kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and then her nose, making her daughter squeal and giggle. "Stop it Mummy!"

"Not until I've had my fill of you," she laughed, the crushing weight of anxiety lifting off her chest now that her precious girl was in her arms. With a smile, she stroked her face and gently tapped her nose. Her eyes took in every inch of her, taking particular note of the yellow, embroidered dress she wore.

Noticing the direction of her mother's gaze, Ileana beamed. "Do you like my new dress, Mummy?"

Kagome smiled at her and nodded. "You make it look even more beautiful, sweetheart." She absentmindedly fingered the skirt's tulle before smoothing the blue, velvet bow around her waist.

Happy with her mother's compliment, Ileana giggled. "Can I go back to play with Ms. Kaname?"

Kagome's eyes jerked back up to the woman she had seen when she'd entered but forgotten about in her haste to hold her daughter. Ms. Kaname, as Ileana called her, was younger than her and looked at her with a warm smile on her face.

The woman rose from her position on the floor and walked over to them. "Good Morning, Ms. Higurashi," her lively voice welcomed. Her brown eyes were warm as she smiled down at them. "My name is Kaname Kururugi. Prince Takahashi has left Ms. Ileana in my care," Kagome's eyes narrowed at her, but she rushed on before she had a chance to speak, "I promise to take care of her as my own, ma'am."

Kagome wavered, her grip loosening around her daughter as she stood up slowly. She looked over the young woman in front of her, taking in her straightened posture and hands held in front of her. She nodded hesitantly at them, unsure of what to say. Ileana took this as permission to continue playing and, after squeezing her mother's legs once more, spun around, taking Kaname's hand and pulling her back to the table under the window. Kaname laughed and smiled down at Ileana, her focus entirely on her charge.

A soft hand on Kagome's back pulled her away from the emotions rising in her chest. "The little one will be safe with her nanny." She turned her head and saw Kaede standing beside her. "And you'll probably feel more like yourself once you've dressed and eaten."

 _Dressed_? The word brought a flush to Kagome's cheeks as she looked down at herself for the first time that morning, remembering, to her shame, the silky, cream, chiffon negligee that she wore.

Last night, after scrubbing off the mud and dirt clinging to her storm-soaked body, Kagome had emerged from the shower to find her duffle bag had not been brought up to her room. Instead, she found a black box sitting on the bathroom counter. She had lifted the lid and pink tissue paper to find the cream negligee tucked delicately inside with a pair of matching lace panties. At first, she had refused to wear it, but found the clothes she'd previously worn gone. With a huff, she'd donned the outfit and gone to bed, her hand gently running over the chiffon as she dozed off.

Without missing a beat, Kaede covered her in a silk robe before leading her back to her room. Kagome clutched the fabric tightly around her, the redness on her face still evident. With the door shut safely behind them, the older woman grabbed the clothes she'd laid on the bed to follow after her and held them up.

"Where is my duffle bag?" Kagome asked in a choked voice as she looked over the designer dress hanging from the hanger in Kaede's hand. Under different circumstances, she might have considered wearing the dress, even though she thought spending so much money on something so trivial absurd. Today, however, she simply didn't wish to feel like the Prince's doll.

Looking closely at her face, Kaede saw there was no budging Kagome's decision. "In the armoire," she sighed, pointing to it before turning to hang up the dress.

Still pulling the robe closed around her, she quickly moved to where the older woman pointed and pulled open the antique armoire's ornately carved door. A smile split her face as she saw the familiar tattered duffle bag. Digging through it, she found a worn pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and her softest t-shirt bra.

Turning to go into the ensuite, Kagome saw the bed and her mind latched back onto Ileana not being in her room when she woke up. "Kaede," she asked tentatively.

"Yes, deary?" Kaede stopped fussing over the small wrinkle on the dress's skirt and looked over at her.

"Why wasn't Ileana in here this morning?" She looked at the older woman imploringly.

"The little one woke up at dawn ready to play, deary, and the Prince had given explicit instructions for Ms. Kururugi to move the girl into her own room and take charge of her." The woman's answer was matter-of-fact, as though it was the most common-sense decision in the world.

To Kagome, though, it twisted at her that Prince Inuyasha had made a decision regarding Ileana without consulting her. "Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"His Highness made it clear we were not to disturb you and allow you to get your rest." The corner of Kaede's lip lifted, as though she was privy to some secret Kagome wasn't.

Without knowing what to say, she turned on her heel and went into the bathroom to change.

00000

Folded into a chair on her bedroom's terrace after tucking Ileana in, Kagome looked out over the calm sea in front of her, the storm from the night before all but forgotten. The fading dusk light was breathtakingly beautiful as it danced across the waves. However, they did nothing to distract her from the thoughts running through her head.

After storming out of the parlour the night before, Kagome had yet to hear from Prince Inuyasha. _Will he allow us to stay?_ she wondered, just as she had last night as she stood rubbing Ileana's back. For an hour she had been rooted in the same spot, watching the door, waiting for the final blow to drop. For him to waltz back in and throw them out, leaving them to the mercy of his enemies. It wasn't until the butler had entered and informed her that the two of them were to follow him to their room did she feel she could move. Her panic subsiding.

Today, she had spent her time with Ileana and kept herself occupied until it was time for the little girl to go to sleep. As she'd walked back to her room, she felt the panic creeping back. Kagome still wasn't comfortable leaving Ileana alone, even though she was just down the hall. She had hoped looking at the ocean would calm her shaking hands, but it had only made her anxious mind run through every possibility, every interaction, that could shape their future. For now, though, she knew Ileana was safe.

A soft knock on the door pulled her gaze across the room to find Myoga standing in the frame of the open door. "Ms. Higurashi, I need you to follow me."

00000

A few minutes later, Kagome's heart pounded inside her chest as she followed Myoga into Prince Inuyasha's private living space. She held her head high as she was lead into the room, her shoulders back, her fingers fidgeting with the ring on her finger. The room was an elegant mixture of Oriental architecture with intricately carved wooden arches reminiscent of the Qing Dynasty, priceless artworks, and antiques. Above her head, a large, ornate, metal, Japanese lantern chandelier cast light throughout the room.

The doors behind her clicked shut and she whirled. Her knees trembled as her gaze locked with those of the man striding towards her from the adjoining room. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as blood pounded at her temples.

Prince Inuyasha's broad shoulders were pulled back, his tall body encased in an ornately formal uniform. A red sash crossed from his right shoulder to his waist, cutting across the dark navy uniform studded with gold. Rows upon rows of medals and ribbons lined the left side of his chest in a colourful display. A sword strapped to his side.

With his eyes locked on hers, he lifted his hands and pulled off first one white glove and then the other. Kagome wet her lips again as he pulled off the dark navy officer's cap, his silver hair spilling loosely around him. Unceremoniously, he dropped the hat and gloves on a chair. His golden eyes trained on her.

"What happened to the dress I left for you?" His eyes were hard as they raked over her plain green t-shirt and faded jeans.

"It was a bit excessive for wear around the house." Kagome stood tall, she would not let him make her feel bad about her choice of clothing.

There was a dark look in his eye's she couldn't place. "What do you anticipate happening, now that you've brought the girl to my attention?" His voice was cold.

"Protection. Whatever that means. I do not wish for money, nor do I wish for you to claim her." She had mulled over her answer for years. _What did she expect from him?_ Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

His golden eyes sparked. "Why do you not wish me to claim her?" The fury in his voice was barely concealed.

"I don't want to trouble you. I don't want to impose on your new bride and other children." She didn't know how many children he had, but she knew, from gossiping maids, that he was engaged to a foreign Princess.

The expression that crossed his face made her stumble over her sure response and step back nervously. Rage, disbelief, frustration – all crossed his face in equal measure, his posture rigged as he stared down at her. "I have one child, Kagome. Just one, and you have kept her from me." Kagome stepped backwards on shaky legs as he moved towards her. Her back hit the wall as his hands slammed on either side of her head.

"Impossible." She whispered, her mind turning the information over in her mind. She knew Shikon's succession law inside and out and had counted on Ileana being one of many…. "No. I don't believe you."

In the last year she had seen so many different announcements regarding his children in the papers. All accompanied by photos of his newest 'companion'. She had heard the castle gossip. Had seen the pitying looks.

He learned in close to her, his voice a hiss. "Have you ever used that brain of yours to consider the gossip rags might be lies?"

"I'm not getting my information from them!" She brought her hands up to push him away, but he caught them and pinned them above her head.

He seemed to hover on the edge of control as he leaned close to her ear. "Then who, Kagome?" His breath was warm against her ear, sending shivers down her back.

"The staff-" She hated that her voice shook.

His laugh was short. "You obviously have never been the victim of those vultures." His breath fanned across her throat. "Looking for anything to pick apart to use for their entertainment."

"The pictures-" She protested weakly.

His other hand moved quickly from the wall to grip her chin in his bruising grasp, silencing her as he pulled back. "My friends, my lovers. Your protests are futile, Kagome." Prince Inuyasha's eyes burned into hers. "I have _one_ child. _Ours_."

Her face paled, the realisation sinking in. In the back of her mind, she had known he had no other children, but she couldn't face that reality. "No." She strangled a sob in her throat. "She can't be."

"She is." His voice was gentler as he loosened his hold on her chin, moving to softly brush across her cheek.

Kagome's legs gave out beneath her, if not for his firm grip on her wrists she would have collapsed. She was still fighting the truth of his words. They answered so many questions, but their implications were terrifying. "She can't be the heir." She whispered, her voice trembling.

In her mind's attempt to detract from the feelings overwhelming her, she latched onto another point. "I will not leave her, Inuyasha." Her jaw clenched as her expression hardened.

"I'm not asking you to." His mouth twitched.

"I won't have her raised by your wife. She is my daughter."

" _Our_ daughter," He hissed, "will be raised by my wife."

Fury coursed through her and she found herself bucking against him in an attempt to free herself. Arching her back, she flexed her body forwards, her hips rubbing against his – and his arousal.

Inuyasha growled.

Liquid fire raced through her straight to her core, her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

"If you continue doing that, Kagome, I will show you what I want to do with that mouth of yours." His pupils were dilated, the gold molten, his muscles tensed.

She wanted him. _God_ , how she wanted him. His proximity was clouding her thoughts and she struggled against him again, not trusting herself to stay this close to him.

Inuyasha's groan rocked her. "Stop moving, woman. Or we will finish this in the bedroom." His words were laced with promise.

 _Yes please_. Her mind screamed, but she fought against her body's urges, instead focusing again on what he'd said about Ileana's rearing. She needed to be able to think clearly. "Let me go."

"As you wish." Releasing her wrists, he stood back. She rubbed her wrists gingerly as she tried to regain her balance on shaking legs.

"I won't allow you to replace me in Ileana's life, Inuyasha." Her mind was starting to clear now that his cologne wasn't infiltrating her every breath.

"Who said anything about replacing you?" The infuriating smirk he wore was back.

She balked. "You said she would be raised by your wife. I have no intentions of -"

"Think, Kagome." He cut her off, his gaze unblinking, his hands on his hips.

She couldn't process it. _Not replacing me_ … _Raised by my wife_ …

"No." The words tumbled from her lips before her mind reached its obvious conclusion.

"You seem to enjoy that word tonight." Amusement lit his eyes.

"I refuse. No. I do not want this, Inuyasha." Tremors wracked her body, threatening to topple her.

In a quick stride, her chin was caught in his grip again. Breathing was becoming harder. "I own you, Kagome. Ileana and you are _mine_." The possessiveness in his voice shook her.

"I belong to no man, Inuyasha." She growled, squaring her shoulders and lifting her eyes defiantly.

His knuckle grazed down the side of her cheek. "Would you rather be back on the street, without Ileana?" He whispered, playing his trump card.

 _Stay strong, keep moving, weakness will get us killed._ Her chant slammed into the forefront of her mind. Kagome knew that Ileana, as the heir, belonged to the Crown. She couldn't fight centuries old legislation that was designed to protect the line of succession.

Kagome knew her feelings were second to the Crown's plans.

 _Why am I surprised?_ A single tear slid down her face.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I won't lie and say that I haven't adapted scenes from other stories I've read, but it suited the scene and Inuyasha's character. We'll start getting into more plot points soon!**

 **Please remember to review!**


End file.
